A RETIREE has been left horrified after losing more than $17,000 in what turned out to be a scam.
The 81-year-old woman from Ottawa, Canada, saw the money vanish – even though she thought she was talking to a police officer.
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She withdrew thousands of dollars from her account, dashed to stores, and bought a slew of gift cards over weeks, per The Ottawa Citizen.
The Citizen agreed to keep her identity confidential for fear of being targeted again, calling her Joan Smith. The U.S. Sun has done the same.
In December 2023, Smith received a call and was quizzed about an iPhone she had supposedly bought.
Smith was adamant that she had not bought a cell phone and was offered the chance to speak to a police officer.
She then received a call that looked like it was coming from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The caller, who turned out to be a scammer, ordered her to buy gift cards.
Smith complied with their request.
She dashed to a Scotiabank branch and withdrew $5,000 during the visit.
A bank worker quizzed her on how she would use the money.
Smith claimed that the funds would be used to help her granddaughter buy a car.
She not only withdrew money from the cash machine but also spent thousands on Apple gift cards.
Smith went to a Canadian Tire outlet and was quizzed by staffers, who suspected she could be a fraud victim.
“The RCMP officer told me I was not to breathe a word to anybody,” she told the Citizen.
She then went to another store and splashed out on $4,000 worth of gift cards.
Days later, she bought another set of gift cards – spending more than $4,000 in the process.
Smith continued to withdraw thousands of dollars from her account and used the money to buy gift cards. In total, she lost $17,500.
In January, she wanted to move money to another account and said the funds were for home renovation works.
But bank workers were suspicious as they scanned her transaction history.
Top tips on avoiding scams from a bank
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
They also asked Smith to provide evidence that the work was going to take place.
For weeks she had kept the real reason behind the withdrawals and gift card purchases under wraps.
She told a worker that she was helping a police force.
They replied that it was likely that she had been a victim of fraud.
Smith’s daughter Anne tried to help get her mom reimbursed, prompting Scotiabank to launch an investigation.
Her claims were rejected following the probe.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police have shared tips on how to avoid falling victim to impersonation scams.
The force has warned callers may share information such as their supposed title and rank.
Those who receive such calls should report the case to the police and they shouldn’t send money.
The police force has urged locals to do their own investigation.
Federal Trade Commission research revealed more than $1.1 billion was lost because of impersonation scams.
The U.S. Sun has approached Scotiabank and the RCMP for comment.
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